According to a December 2016 report by creditcards.com, retail credit cards (store credit cards) have higher interest rates and skimpier sign-up offers. The average APR on store credit cards has risen to 23.84 percent. Half of store credit cards have an APR of over 25 percent. But regular credit cards have an average APR of 15.18 percent. Why do store credit cards have such a high interest rate? Two of the reasons are: lower credit limits and high-risk applicants.